Operating and Capital Leases

question 167

Essay

Operating and capital leases
Berkeley Corporation wants to expand operations and is considering various leasing arrangements for additional equipment.Berkeley's management has heard the terms capital lease and operating lease mentioned by the accounting department and wants clarification of these terms before signing any lease contracts.
(a)Briefly explain the difference between a capital lease and an operating lease from a lessee's (Berkeley's)point of view.Your answer should include the financial statement impact of each type of lease.
(b)How does a lessee determine whether a specific lease contract is an operating lease or a capital lease? Include at least two of the criteria specified by the FASB in your answer.
(c)Which of the above two types of leases is sometimes referred to as "off-balance-sheet financing?" Briefly explain.

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Definitions:

Step-Down Method

A method used in cost accounting that allocates support department costs to producing departments in a sequential process, where each department's costs are allocated to other departments based on a predetermined order.

Service Department Costs

Expenses related to departments that do not directly generate revenue but provide essential support services to those that do.

Operating Departments

Divisions within an organization that are directly responsible for producing goods or providing services.

Personnel Costs

The expenses directly related to the hiring, training, and payment of employees.